Christmas, i know it's ages away but can you help?

Question

I want to make the last few years when my children still believe seem extra magical and am looking for some nice suggestions for traditional customs that other peole have, recipes even or family traditions that have made it special for you, thanks.

Answer 1

we always go for a car ride, on Christmas eve, with a thermos of hot chocolate and see every ones Christmas lights.
we make reindeer food(oats and glitter) and sprinkle it all over the lawn. you can make it and put a little poem on it. can't remember the poem now but if you e-mail me I will e-mail it to you.

we have our names on Christmas ornaments and we hang our own on the tree

I always read the real story of Christmas and the night before Christmas on Christmas eve to my daughter.

we always have fish on Christmas eve(a long tradition passed on from my husbands mother)

we always open our Christmas stocking before the presents, Santa presents first then the ones from other people.

Always have a big turkey dinner at 2 p.m.

always make cookies and a ginger bread house

always watch the grinch (the old cartoon one not the movie )

Answer 2

Why not go outside, if you live in a house and not apartment, and throw gravel or small rocks up on the roof. That would make an impression of landing on the roof.

The other thing is leaving out the cookies and milk. Perhaps bite into the cookies and pour out the milk. I think leaving a small, unexpected gift would make more of an impression than a large gift. A large gift would lead to many questions.

Also, if you have a naughty child, the old saying was you'd get a lump of coal in your stocking or as my Grandmother would say, you'd get a pig's tail. Perhaps, you might leave a lump of coal along with the presents to show that Santa was displeased but still kind enough to leave presents.

As far as suggestion for spreading flour and glitter. I had a girl once send me a card with glitter stars, moons stuff that fell out of the envelope into the carpet. That stuff is murder to vacuum! So, before doing that, think of the cleanup or it'll be a Christmas you'll remember alright but for different reasons.

Answer 3

In addition to as many family things with grans grandads, aunties, uncles, close friends and cousins, doing preparations can also be great memory makers--tree house decor, and taking the children shopping are good starters.
Cooking also if you are inclined: They might cherish memories of a traditional pudding, stirred up, if you like on stirup day (Please check the Church of England schedule for the exact day each year if into church scheduling--but it really doesn't matter in the long run) In tradition... Everyone takes turns stirring, someone reads the prayer or takes turns round about. It starts something like "Stir us up O Lord."
There are vegan sorts that can be homemade if you look for a recipe on line.
Also baking biscuits and fixing other things. Also in my family, excitement built with little prezzies being added under the tree nearly daily.

I hope this helps a bit. Quite the Christmas family in my childhood and now for that matter.

That Cheeky Lad, spoilt but appreciative!

Answer 4

My Son is 7 and i don't think I have long left before some smart alex kid in his class tells him the truth, I worry about this a lot. but I think the kind of things you need to do are
1. Over decorate the house tackier the better kids love it
2.Leave father Christmas's and his reindeer there mince pie and carrot and cup of water out. (don't for get to eat and drink mot of them though)
3. Make it family time all together aunty's uncles cousins etc
(that's how I remember the Christmas's' when i was a kid)
4. Take them carol singing or too your local church for a service its actually quite magical for kids
5. Let them help you prepare stuff like mince pies Christmas's pudding (everyone in the house should have a stir for luck traditionally) and don't forget to wrap you 20P's up in tin foil and put them in.
6. If you have a debenhams dept store near you they do lunch with father Christmas's, I took my boys last year they loved they felt really special as its limited to numbers
7. Let them help you chose presents for people its great fun and they can have great ideas you hadn't thought
These are the kind of things I do with mt Kids and we always have amazing Christmas's' hope it helps and hope you have an amazing Christmas.
And one last thing, If you set the right things up and do the same thing every year and make it magical it won't matter wheather they believe in Father Christmas or not.
And you could always take them to the north pole if you can afford it, thats my plan for next year anyway.

Answer 5

I Love Christmas, this question does not come too soon.lol

making your own Christmas cake (or buying one) and decorating it is soo much fun. You can buy all sorts of decorations including edible glitter and ball bearings which your children should have fun using. (I'm 18 and i still love it lol)

Threading popcorn on a string (with the use of a needle) and putting it on your tree.

lots of decorations - try getting fake snow and icicles - you could decorate your house after your children have gone to bed to make it even more magical.

my parents made a small play house type grotto for me and my brother with sweets and little toys and decorated in fake snow. you could do something like that or just even have a few glass jars with sweets in, like you find in old sweet shops.

hide little presents or sweets for every day leading up til the 25th instead of a calender - make it in to a bit of a treasure hunt.

hope some of that helps and hope you have a really magical Christmas. Miri

Answer 6

When we put up our tree we always have Christmas songs on, open a big tin of Roses chocolates and have a special drink - usually a very week port and lemonade, my children love the colour and you only need a drop to make it taste nice.

On Christmas Eve we always sprinkle fairy dust (a mixture of oats,sugar and glitter or sprinkles) and on the back garden - it helps the reindeer fly you know- and my children love to chop up carrots for them too!

For Santa we leave a glass of port and lemon and a mince pie on a special tray we have (its one I got from Au Natrel and has a large traditional Santa face on it) and at bed time read the Night Before Christmas.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

this is an important time! here are some things we do to keep the magic moving! have a friend call the house talking to each kid, one of my little brothers started crying becasue he was so happy! have them send a christmas list, show them all the christmas movies, have santa write them a letter, and bake cookies and leave them and carrots for the reindeer out! have some bells left for each child like the polar express make sure they're pretty though!!!! good luck and thanks for keeping the spirit alive!

Answer 9

Kids can never sleep when they know Santa is on his way, so make their night enjoyable. If it doesn't get dangerous up on the roof make some noise there, if it does then just stick to outside, down on the ground. (Most kids don't have the logic to really wonder why Santa is in their front yard instead of on the roof anyway.) Have someone dressed as Santa be visible in case they look out of their windows (but make sure to tell them that Santa won't give them any presents if he catches them watching him because otherwise they might just want to run up and visit him!). Make sure he has a big bag of presents with him.
Throw glitter everywhere (the fireplace is a great spot if you have one), make deep tracks in the snow and include reindeer tracks too. If your kids don't mail off a letter to Santa and someone replies as "Santa" then you should have him leave a note for the kids in each of their stockings praising them on being so good and reminding them to be just as good next year too.

When they get old enough to know that Santa exists (or already know) have him get them up in the morning. My father would dress up in the morning, yelling, "Ho Ho Ho," as a signal that it's okay to leave our rooms and go to the living room for the rest of the gifts. (Our stockings were kept in our rooms to keep us preoccupied while our parents caught a little more shut-eye.)

Answer 10

Use your imagination; I tell the kids who are misbehaving in the store that the big plastic bubbles on the ceiling are where the elves watch them being bad or being good. Even older kids (11, 12, etc) glance up from time to time just in case. "How do you think Santa keeps track? He needs help, you know!" But before you make it up, you will need to live with your deception for a long time, so make it at least partly feasible, the kids will remember!